World of Montgomery: Sunday October 18

The World of Montgomery Festival celebrates and explores the rich cultural heritages of the DC Area with international music, food, dance, exhibits and hands-on arts, crafts activities, and more. Sunday, October 18, 12-5 PM at Montgomery College, Rockville.

This 7th annual festival will feature several top headline musicians from the DC region plus a myriad of performers representing the cultures of this year’s four featured countries.

This year’s FREE festival features China, El Salvador, Ethiopia, and India – the four countries of Montgomery County’s Sister Cities partnership that have the largest local immigrant populations.

Experience the cultures and traditions of our featured countries at the International Village, which includes two entertainment stages, traditional crafts, ethnic food vendors, and fun activities for the whole family. Participate in a variety of fun, hands-on activities, including traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremonies, dancing with a Chinese dragon, and henna art painting.

The Parade of Cultures starts at 1:30 pm and features feet pounding rhythms of traditional African drummers, Bolivian dancers and performers in native dress from varied cultures.

Festival Program

We are thrilled to feature Robbie Shaefer (of Eddie From Ohio fame) at 12:30 on Stage 1. A musician, story teller and activist, Robbie founded OneVoice in 2011, a non-profit with the mission of empowering youth around the world to use music and creative expression to transform themselves and their communities. Other featured musical acts include Latin sensation Verny Varela, Zydeco band the Crawdaddies, and Pablo Antonio y La Firma (a 13-piece Salsa and Meringue band). Performance stages spotlight dancers and musicians in native dress, such as Chinese mask theater, an Ethiopian drumming and dance group, Indian dancers performing a harvest celebration, and an El Salvadorian marching band. See the music and schedule pages for more details

Demonstrations of traditional arts and interactive activities also abound at World of Montgomery. Try your hand at Roti making in the Global Spice Market or watch international chefs prepare regional dishes in the Global Kitchen.

As a preview of their upcoming Mask Exhibit, KID Museum is offering a series of cultural mask-oriented activities. Create your own molded masks using clay and a vacuum-molder, and help construct three giant communal masks. Participants can try on masks from different regions and of different styles and take photos in KID Museum’s installation, “Unmasking The Self(ie): Masks, Culture & Identity”. Send in your mask selfie to our Instagram Challenge for a chance to win a KID Museum family membership #kidmuseummaskcontest. Masks and mask making will also be presented by all of the different countries at World of Montgomery.

In support of Montgomery County’s Community Service Week (October 16-25), attendees can visit the Volunteer Center’s “Volunteer Village” and participate in an onsite community service project while learning about current and future opportunities to lend a helping hand locally.

Among the numerous diverse organizations partnering with the World of Montgomery Festival are the FREE-Syria Foundation and Aid All Syrians. Visit their booth to learn more about the Syrian refugee crisis and plans underway to take in Syrian refugees in the DC area.

“This multicultural celebration gives children and adults alike an appreciation for the rich, diverse world that is in our own backyard, said G. Keith Haller, Chairman of the Fund For Montgomery, the lead presenter of the festival. “It’s about inspiring a new generation of ‘global ambassadors’ who can make ours the most welcoming community in the country.”

Be sure to register to win a prize at World of Montgomery. Must be present at the festival to win. Click here to register:

Take the Bus:
Ride-on travels from several nearby metro stations to Montgomery College. From Shady Grove metro on the red line, you can catch Ride On Bus #55 or take the Q6. To find out information on your exact route, visit http://wmata.com/rider_tools/tripplanner/tripplanner.cfm .